The City of Cajamaeca. 399 



pared to that of a furnace. Here the river is from 250 to 

 500 feet in width, according to season, with a six-mile cur- 

 rent ; and treeless, rocky mountains dip down on all sides 

 at an angle of 45°. Again ascending, and crossing monot- 

 onous pajonals and the fertile pampas of Huanco and P61- 

 loc,I caught sight of famous Cajamarca, seated on the east- 

 ern slope of the western cordillera, and fronting the most 

 beautiful plain in all the Andes. I can liken it to nothing 

 but to Granada and its lovely Vega — the last dwelling- 

 place of the Moor. 



This highland plain, or campaua, sixteen leagues in cir- 

 cumference, is almost as level as a billiard-table, rich as 

 the Connecticut flats, and well watered by the mint-border- 

 ed Chonta and Masscon. The roads crossing it are hedged 

 in with century-plants ; and here and there i-ises the " sau- 

 ci" (Salix kumboldiiana), the most conspicuous tree in 

 the region.* The surrounding mountains are barren and 

 brown, but nevertheless are exceedingly picturesque, and 

 full of history. 



Cajamarca, the Caxamalca of Pizarro's day, clajms to 

 have 14,000 citizens; certainly it is the largest and finest 

 city on our route from Para to the Pacific. Its altitude is 

 about 9400 feet, and the temperature ranges from 40° to 

 72°. The houses are generally built of adobe, and tiled ; 

 but the churches are of the coarse conglomerate from the 

 sierra, and have elaborately sculptured fronts. The grand 

 plaza is adorned with a fine stone fountain, around which 

 congregate a motley crowd of Indian women every morn- 

 ing to vend their little piles of vegetables, fruits, grains, 

 meats, salt, pepper, etc. ; for the plaza is the " market-place" 

 in Spanish towns. The following are some of the prices 

 current: Flour, $16 for 320 pounds; corn, $1 for 26 



* Called uirdna, on the Amazons, where it occurs, as also in the Quito 

 valley. It is the only true willow known in the equatorial plains. 



